FGIA News: New AAMA North American Fenestration Standard

Breaking news! The Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) recently announced the publication of the 2026 edition of the AAMA/WDMA/CSA 101/I.S.2/A440 North American Fenestration Standard/Specification for Windows, Doors, and Skylights (abbreviated as NAFS 2026).

That title is a mouthful, but what does it mean for homeowners? 

Let’s go over some of the information about the FGIA’s NAFS 2026 publication and what the big update in it is:

What’s New in NAFS 2026 from the FGIA’s Announcement

In the FGIA’s press release post announcing the new version of the NAFS document, former FGIA Joint Document Management Group (JDMG) co-chair Lisa Bergeron stated that “Unlike with the previous version of NAFS, there were no major revisions for NAFS-26, with the exception of the secondary designator clarification.”

So, the document is, per the FGIA’s announcement, largely similar to the previous edition of the standard. The only major change is that the secondary designator requirements went from being optional to being mandatory in NAFS 2026.

What Is the Secondary Designator Requirement?

Okay, the term “secondary designator” isn’t exactly intuitive. To simplify what it is, it’s a set of standards that are meant for extreme weather. So, previously, documents, reports, and labels wouldn’t have to show this information, but now, they will have to show performance values for:

• Positive Design Pressure. A measure of how much inward-acting force the window or door is rated to withstand without failing.
• Negative Design Pressure. A measure of how much outward-acting force the window or door can withstand without failing.
• Water Penetration Resistance Test Pressure. This is a measure of how well the window or door resists water penetration when sprayed with water while being subjected to wind pressure. The rating is based on how much air pressure it takes for the first water droplet to penetrate the window or door. The ASTM E 1105 test has two variations: one involving static pressure and one involving cyclic pressure. 

This is an especially important update for Floridian homes, as it means that, moving forward, window and door products that maintain their AAMA certification are being subjected to even more stringent testing than in years past. So, if you see the AAMA Gold Label on a product, and that certification is current, then you’ll know that the window or door you’re looking at has been certified to withstand incredible wind pressure and rain without letting water into your home.

When Will FGIA’s NAFS-26 See Wider Code Adoption?

So, the NAFS document is currently just a standard set by the FGIA and not a code or requirement actively enforced by governmental bodies… at least, it isn’t yet. 

According to the FGIA’s post announcing the publication: “The 2022 NAFS standard is already referenced in the 2024 editions of the International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC) and the recently released standard will be included in the 2027 editions of these codes.” 

So, if the IBC and IRC are going to start referencing the new edition of NAFS as early as 2027, the Florida Building Code (FBC) won’t be far behind. That’s because, as noted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the FBC is “based on the International Building Code, which is referred to as the ‘base code’… The Florida Building Commission is required to update the Code every three years.”

Considering that the FBC was just updated for 2026, this means that the next major update to it will likely be the 2029 edition unless the Building Commission decides to make an early, out-of-cycle update to adhere to the 2027 edition of the IBC sooner rather than later.

Want Windows That Meet or  Exceed the FGIA’s Standards?

Building codes, both optional and mandatory, are updating all the time as regulators and industry organizations identify new ways to improve safety and security for homeowners. If you want to ‘future-proof’ your home so that it will meet both current and future standards (or you just want to make your home even safer) it’s important to be proactive about making improvements to it.

One way to future proof your home against ever-evolving regulations and standards is to install impact windows that go well above and beyond the current requirements of even optional industry standards like the FGIA’s AAMA Gold Label certification process.

If you’d like future-proof windows, reach out to Karoly Windows and Doors to get the best windows for your home!